Facebook go-to platform for content among C-suite

Senior executives turn to Facebook to engage with content, but the majority of it goes unnoticed.

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Facebook is the number one platform for C-suite executives looking for business advice, a new report by Grist says. The business-to-business content marketing agency analysed where more than 200 executives from FTSE 350 companies engage with content, and Facebook came out on top with 79 per cent of answers. Zuckerberg's network is followed by Twitter (73 per cent) and LinkedIn (68 per cent). “This research is great news if you are in control of your firm’s marketing and communications programme.

The C-suite clearly values thought leadership and is happy to receive it from advisers,” commented Andrew Rogerson, founder and managing director at Grist. “However, we can also see that much of this content is below par. The C-suite is a sophisticated and demanding audience, and will not respond to rehashed marketing material. Instead, thought leadership must provide a return on investment, both for the firms that invest the money to produce it and the senior executives that invest time in reading it.”

The report also states that senior executives ignore much of the content they come across, reading just under a third (31 per cent) of all thought leadership they come across. More than eight in 10 (84 per cent) believe content plays an important role in adding value to what they do, and more than a quarter (28 per cent) says the things they read make a ‘direct impact’ on their decisions.

Lunchtime on a Monday is the best time to place your content, the report states, adding that content of up to 800 words is more preferable, compared to long-form pieces. Key aspects of proper thought leadership are being original, specific and not being too promotional.